This invention relates to a dedicated, aircraft hydraulic system, and more particularly, to a last chance system which has the ability to supply additional fluid to the hydraulic system upon failure.
In aircraft hydraulic systems, most failures are caused by a rubbed through tube or worn seal in a hydraulic component. These failures drain the hydraulic system reservoir of all of the hydraulic fluid over a period of several minutes.
Hydraulic system reservoirs are designed with a finite amount of excess hydraulic fluid that can be measured in pints. Once the hydraulic fluid is depleted from the reservoir, the engine pump suction runs dry and the hydraulic pumps cavitate and fail.
Aircraft require hydraulic pressure to operate many systems during flight. Therefore, aircraft are designed with multiple or redundant hydraulic systems that act as back-up if one hydraulic system should fail. Multiple hydraulic systems failures have been reported in the past.
As can be seen, there is a need for an apparatus and method of providing one additional last source to maintain hydraulic system pressure in aircraft and the like and providing additional time to find and get to a safe landing site.